Why some key races won't be decided on election night
Summary
Election officials may take days or weeks to determine some close 2026 midterm races, so control of Congress may remain unclear after election night. Experts say delays are not unusual and do not by themselves indicate fraud; they warn that unsupported claims about the count can spread while results are pending.Key Facts
- David Becker said he doubts voters will know who controls the House or Senate on election night unless there is a large shift in results.
- Becker predicted that some candidates who believe they are losing may spread false claims about election integrity; he also said President Donald Trump may do so.
- Lawrence Norden said misinformation often spreads between Election Day and the release of results, especially when races are close.
- News organizations project winners using counted ballots, the margin, and estimates of how many votes remain and what types of ballots are outstanding.
- California has races that may be called soon after polls close and others that may take days or weeks to call.
- California sends mail ballots to all registered voters, and ballots postmarked by Election Day may arrive up to a week later.
- California mail ballots received before Election Day can be processed in advance, but officials cannot count them until polls close.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
